Actually, we’ve had some showers today, but it isn’t really accumulating, so I”m not sure it counts. My guess is we’ll be overrun with snow in January and February and probably March and April as well!
Oh, Happy 6th day of Christmas to one and all. We’ve had a lovely season so far. Twelve of us for Christmas dinner, which was tight in this log cabin, but we managed anyway…to Connecticut for Boxing Day dinner with old friends and family…to N.J. on Tuesday for celebration with son and kids…back home Wednesday by dark.
Yesterday, I started a puzzle I got for Christmas. I’m kind of addicted to the 1000 piece Will Moses puzzles, the only ones I’ve ever had to actually look at the box in order to put together. They are very challenging, and take much longer than other 1000 piece puzzles. I’ve gotten the bottom 3/4 mostly done, and the sky looms! 300 pieces of very subtley varied sky blue pieces…no need to look at the box for those, just do one piece at a time based entirely on shape. I’m hoping to finish by tomorrow, so I can clean it up by Monday afternoon, for Monday evening we have more company and it’s my coffee table. Need it for the shrimp!
The sheep and goats and chickens are all managing in the cold. Thursday a.m. it was about 9 out there. One fatality. My little OEG wheaten bantam hen, who’s never been really healthy (only laid 4 eggs last year, her first, and had frostbitten feet, with toenails missing on two toes on each foot, poor little thing) succumbed to the cold. I found her dead this morning. She was up and around yessterday. Sad. Hopefully, I’ll be able to find Napoleon a new Josephine and a new Desiree at the POultry Congress on Jan. 14th at the Big E, an annual trip, weather permitting.
Turkey soup simmering on the stove. Sermon to write for Sunday, as I’m subbing for priest who is recovering from Christmas. It always takes enormous energy to get through the Christmas holidays for priests. Almost as bad, but not quite, as Easter and leading up to that. LIturgically, Easter time is the worst. But pastorally, Christmas wins the prize for most difficult. Christmas is the time when sadness is intensified: Everyone is from nice happy families having great Chrimases, right? WRONG! But the sadness of realizing that’s not the case in one’s own life is often overwhelming and the priest is working overtime at pastoral care. It’s good and healthy to take a week off after Christmas for rest and refreshment.
Okay, time to check one last time for eggs…
